The Family That Loses Together....

If you are a regular reader, you know I have been on this Weight Loss Journey for 18 months.  I have lost 110 lbs as of this morning's weigh in.  My family and friends have been incredibly supportive and motivating, especially my sister, Kari, and her husband, Josh.  Josh called me last weekend and had a great idea for us all to do this together.  By all, I mean him, my sister, my husband Roger and I.  Saturday we met at their house, I shared my knowledge, took measurements and got them all started on My Fitness Pal to begin tracking their calories.

I will let them introduce themselves:

My name is Joshua Bryant. I am 33 years old with three very active boys all under the age of 5. With a very busy and hectic lifestyle I've never put a big emphasis on my own health. I've always tried to put the health of my kids and my wife before me. As I now look at myself, I am starting to realize that I can't keep up with my children, I am always tired, and my body feels like it is falling part.  I decided to start this journey down the path of a healthier lifestyle.  Not to deprive myself of food, but to be more conscious of the food that I put in my body.  My goal for this journey is to lose about 50 pound. To get down to a healthy weight of 150.  I want to be able to run with out being out of breath within 2 minutes. To be able to enjoy my children as they grow up and to enjoy my grandchildren as they come along and to overall become a healthy and vibrant person once again.

Hello!  I am Kari (Josh's wife and Kristy's sister).  I stay at home with our 3 crazy young boys.  I also have a craft business I run from our home...oh and an accounting job I do one day a week.  To say my days are busy and hectic is a complete understatement!  Out of the four of us, I am probably the most apprehensive about this journey.  I understand the importance to get and stay healthy but struggle with finding the time and energy to make it a success.  This is why doing this as a family is so important. My goal is to be comfortable in my body, whatever weight that may be.

Hi.  My name is Roger.  Kristy and I have been married just over 11 years.  I've always been a big guy but fairly active.  My wife is a great cook and after we married, we just stopped paying attention to how much we were eating.  I have a physically demanding job, keeping me on my feet for 8 to 10 hours a day.  My goal is to be able to do my job the best I can, curb my sugar addiction and catch up with my wife.

Weight Loss Journey: The Test Results Are In

I saw the Nutritionist last week and I did not get the results I had hoped for.  She said my logs looked good, I was doing everything right, and I just needed to work harder.  Lower my calories and burn more at the gym.  Let me tell you, I was really mad when I left.  I was depressed and pissed off.  I went to Taco Bell to drown my sorrows in Cheesy Frito Burritos.  After talking to my Mom and my husband, I calmed a bit but decided to make that day a cheat day and had pizza (Chicken and Spinach) for dinner.

I spent Friday thinking about what I needed to do.  I got a call from my doctor and she wanted me to come in to have some blood work done to check my vitamin levels.  I decided I was going to follow the nutritionist's advice for 4 weeks.  I would cut my calories to 2000 a day and change up my work outs to see what the results would be.  This requires planning and strategy.  I spent Friday evening writing up options for meals and making a shopping list.

Since Easter was Sunday, we did our weekly shopping on Saturday morning.  Do you have Cash & Carry where you are?  If so, check them out.  I find their produce selection to be top notch.  I can get my salad mix for $6 and it will last 2 weeks.  I also get mushrooms, zucchini, spinach, broccoli slaw, grape tomatoes, potatoes, diced ham and feta cheese.  It saves me money and helps with meal prep.  I spent a few hours Sunday night cutting veggies and weighing everything out.

Planning gives me the chance to try out a few new recipes too.  This week I made Zoodles with Shrimp and One Pot Chili Pasta (see recipes below).  I have to thank my husband for being so patient and open minded on weeks like this.  Let's just say I have been a little crazy about this and analyzing things even more than usual.  He was not a huge fan of the Pasta Chili.  He hates tomatoes, but he ate it anyway.  He did like the Zoodles and Shrimp.  I was surprised how much like pasta it actually felt.

I try to eat 4 times a day.  Breakfast, Pre-Workout Snack, Lunch Post-Workout and Dinner.  This week I have added in a few more supplements.  A ProBiotic, a calcium chew, a milder iron supplement, a chewy daily vitamin and a pre-workout energy mix.  This is in addition to my B12, D3 and Alpha Lipoic Acid.  They are working because some of my blood work has come back and my Vitamin D Levels went from 15 to 38 (normal is 20-80) and my B12 levels went from 230 to 588 (normal 200-914).  My Ferritin levels, which measure your bodies ability to hold onto iron, have went from 22 to 32 in a year.  Normal range for that is 11-307.  

Along with those good results have come some questionable ones.  My TSH or Thyroid Stimulating Hormone came back at 3.24 which is right in the middle of the 0.34 to 5.60 range.  However, my T3 which is part of the thyroid system came back at 82 which is lower than the 87-178 range.  Also my urine test showed more protein that normal.  My number was 147 and the range should be less than 29.  This is the test that worries me.  It shows kidney damage and possible kidney disease.

As of right now, I feel like I am fighting with my body.  According to the doctors and all my research, I am doing everything right.  I am eating very healthy, keeping active, keeping low carb, getting plenty of water and taking all my vitamins.  This week I have been keeping under 2000 calories a day and working out.  On Monday morning I was 397.6 but Friday morning I was 399.6.  Can you see why I am super frustrated?  I have been working hard, cutting and I gained weight.  Needless to say, I am waiting to hear from my doctor to see what to do.  I was in tears all Friday morning.  My Mom finally calmed me down and told me I should stop dieting for a week because me being so stressed and upset just isn't worth it.  I am so happy with my progress and how I feel but I am also so depressed.  

If you have made it this far down the blog, THANK YOU!  I sometimes just need to get this shit written out so I can process it.  I will keep you all updated on my progress and what is in store for my health.

Weight Loss Journey: 2015 - The Year of Me

I hope you all had a great Christmas.  This past month, I have taken a bit of a break from blogging.  Christmas time is always very hectic for us.  Between multiple family, work and friend get-togethers, we still had to work and keep the house up.  Adulting is hard.

My oldest nephew Logan.  One of the rare photos that isn't blurred.  Kids move fast.

I have been bouncing between 405 and 415 for more than a month.  It seems my body is comfortable at this weight and activity level.  I am fine with that.  I can buy clothes at a store, not just online.  I am really active and flexible.  I am happy, healthy and hopeful.  However, I would like to lose 50 to 100 more pounds.  But I have to remember the number on the scale means nothing if I am miserable.

I have always lived my life trying to do as much as I can for others.  My family, my husband, my friends.  But 2015 was the year of Me.  It was the year I came out of my depression and started enjoying life again.  I didn't even know how depressed I was.  2015 wasn't all about my weight loss.  100 lbs is no small feat, but the year was also about self awareness, self love and self confidence.  In short, I feel incredible.

Me and my nephew Landon, using my selfie stick

I have met so many people in the last year that have lifted me up and supported me.  I have made friends locally and across the US in what I call my "Fat Chat".  I have also had family and friends send me messages and tell me personally how great I am doing.  It makes me incredibly proud of myself.  My blog has gotten so many more followers and I am thankful for each and every person who reads this.  Recently my blog was shared on a weight loss website, across Facebook and Twitter.  It's amazing.  I hope I inspire some of you to get healthier.  I know I am inspired by you all.

This is Christmas 2014 and Christmas 2015.

I am not one for New Years resolutions so I am just going to state a few things for 2016:
#1-I want to continue eating healthy and tracking my calories.
#2-I want to continue my exercise habits by working out at least 3 days a week.
#3-I want to strengthen my relationship with Roger.
#4-I want to continue to save money for our futures.
#5-I want to be a better friend by making more time to visit people.
#6-More craft and food blogs, less weight loss blogs.

What are your hopes for 2016?  Will you be joining me on my journey?

Diabetic Journal Week 6

Monday February 16th, 2015:
What a weekend!  Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day, I know I did.  Saturday Roger and I headed to his work and he taught me how to torch and weld.  Together we created an art piece for our 10th Anniversary.  It was a really special moment.  We have been really disconnected lately.  I guess that sometimes happens when you have been married a while.  You get into a rut and just take your partner for granted.  We both decided we needed to make more of an effort and it has really changed both of our attitudes and moods.

I am finding it easier and easier to make good choices.  I am also finding that my tastes are changing.  Sunday we went out to breakfast like we always do.  I had steak, eggs, tomato slices and toast.  Then, we headed up to my sister's to see my nephews.  We didn't get to see her but spent about 3 hours with the boys and Josh.  They always make me happier.  My Dad even stopped by.  We don't see each other very much because we live a few hours apart.

After we left there house though, I was so hungry.  Roger wanted Jack In The Box so we stopped.  I got a grilled chicken sandwich with no sauces and without even thinking ordered a large fry and large Iced Tea.  I guess old habits don't ever completely die.  I ended up eating maybe 5 fries.  They just didn't taste the same.  So I ate my sandwich and was satisfied with it.  Before, a single sandwich would have never done that.  That night we went out with some friends for Chinese.  I ordered something called Three Ingredients.  It was scallops, shrimp and chicken with the normal Chinese vegetables.  It was really good.  I could have ate the entire plate but forced myself to stop and take the rest home.

Wednesday February 18th, 2015:
The weather in Washington has been so beautiful.  It seems like Spring is coming early.  Not sure what that means for our Summer but I will take it for now.  I have been doing sitting exercises at my desk this week.  While it may not seem like much, it is a lot more than I was doing.  I found a video series on YouTube called Launchpad from LiveExercise.  I am hoping that while having to sit all day, it will at least get me moving.  I did find a couple parts harder that others.  It at least got my heart beating a little faster and got me breathing.

Thursday February 19th, 2015:
I've talked on this blog before about my Mom's awesome lasagna.  I've also talked about my husband's annoyance when I mess with a good recipe.  Well I have been craving it something fierce so I decided to change it up a little without telling him.  Instead of all ground beef, I mixed 1 lb ground beef and 1 lb ground pork.  I also switched out the regular full fat cream cheese for a low fat onion and chive cream cheese.  It was seriously good.  A serving was 671 calories, 38 grams of fat and 27 carbs.  While it's a little high on fat, it was well worth it.

It sort of feels weird to me to analyze everything I eat.  I used to eat whatever and whenever I wanted.  I have actually proven to myself how much willpower I have.  After eating one piece of lasagna last night, I really wanted more but I forced myself to sit for at least 30 minutes and if I still wanted more then I would have some.  Sure enough, after 30 minutes, I was good.  About 2 hours later I made myself some plain popcorn and had a yogurt.  The popcorn provides some great fiber while the yogurt satisfies my sweet tooth.  I found a 100 calorie Greek yogurt by Yoplait with less that 10 carbs.

Tonight for dinner I made T-Bone steaks with roasted broccoli and baked potatoes.  This was the first time I have had a baked potato in a very long time.  I chose the smallest one in the bag and ate it plain but 2 hours after dinner my blood sugar was 144.  The nutritionist I saw said that a regular blood sugar after eating should be less than 180 but it kind of freaked me out.  I haven't been that high in a while.  I have been consistently between 80 and 120.  How often do others check their blood sugar?  I have been checking once or twice a day.

Sunday February 22nd, 2015:
I am nursing a little hangover this morning but I had such a good time.  We went out with some friends in Elma to sing Karaoke.  It's been a while and I have really missed it.  We had our normal Sunday breakfast routine but I wasn't able to eat much.  Roger just kept giggling at me and saying "I told you so".  Later in the day, while watching the Daytona 500, I was able to eat some popcorn and then even later I made some Roasted Broccoli and I felt pretty good after that.  Drank about a half gallon of water and some herbal tea throughout the day so around 3 I was feeling pretty normal.  There is a big change in the snacking habits at our house.  Plain popcorn and broccoli were never around before.  It was cookies and chips or crackers.

Friday night after work I tried out a Yoga program that I had on the DVR.  It was much harder than I anticipated.  My balance is terrible.  I have been looking on Amazon for some Yoga videos for obese people.  Roger has back problems and I heard yoga can help you become more flexible so I am hoping we can try it together.  I did have him do my Launchpad exercise video with me and he was a good sport.  I am also looking at some resistance bands to make my chair work outs a little more challenging.

Tuesday February 24th, 2015
Today was a weak day.  I had a long day at work and on my way home, I stopped at Starbucks.  I had a free drink on my card so I ordered a Venti White Mocha Frappucino.  Ya know what though?  I took maybe 5 drinks from it and was done.  It was a combination of knowing I didn't want to feel sick after drinking it and not wanting to derail just because I had a bad day.  Win for Kristy!!

Diabetic Journal - Week 4 & 5

Wednesday February 4th, 2015:
Yesterday I went in for some routine blood tests.  My results were online this morning and I have lowered my A1C from 6.9 to 6.2 and raised my iron level from a 9 to a 22.  While the iron level is still low, it is a great improvement.  Small things like this give me great encouragement to keep at it.  I also did my first real work out yesterday.  It was nothing too strenuous but I felt really good after.

Monday February 9th, 2015:
Last week had some pretty drastic ups and downs.  While the first set of test results were good, the second set was not.  I am extremely vitamin deficient.  My levels of Vitamin D, B-12, Iron and Calcium are so low that I am going to be on prescriptions.  I will even need to take shots for the B-12 and Vitamin D.   I also have extremely high levels of protein in my urine which can mean many things but the main concern is Kidney Disease.  I will have to do a 24 hour collection.

I unfortunately got this news about an hour before Roger and I left to go on a 3 day trip to the beach to celebrate our 10th Anniversary.  I tried to put it out of my mind but I thought about it a lot.  We did have a really good time though.  We got up close and personal with some deer, gambled, played at the arcade, took a walk, and went swimming.  The swimming thing was such a huge deal because Roger hadn't been able to go in water for the last 3 years or so while he dealt with a wound on his leg that just wouldn't heal.

I ate pretty well on vacation but did indulge in a doughnut when we left town.  It was the first sugary thing I had ate in 2 months.  It wasn't as good as I remembered.  We went to the grocery store on the first day so we could make sure I had some healthy snacking options.  I don't know about you, but when I am on vacation, I kinda want to splurge.  I was pretty proud of myself and even lost 2 lbs over the week.

Tuesday February 10th, 2015:
The struggle is real everyone.  I had such an intense sugar craving today.  The worst I have had since I started.  I went to Safeway to buy about 6 things that we needed and they have these clearance carts in the back of the store near the milk and eggs.  I got the milk and was headed towards the eggs when I zeroed in on them.  They were filled with the bags of mini candies like York mini patties which are my favorite.  I passed them, with my eyes glued, but then snapped out of my trance and realized I had forgotten the eggs.  I had to pass the carts 2 more times to get the eggs and head back the way I was.  Then, at the checkout counter, the king size candy bars were buy 2, get 2 free.  It literally took me white knuckling the cart not to grab them and throw them on the conveyor belt.  Once I was out of the store I sat in my car and just breathed really deep and patted myself on the back for not buying them.  How is that for a glimpse inside a food addicts mind?

Thursday February 12th, 2015:
Today is our Anniversary.  Roger and I have been married for 10 years.  It really doesn't seem like that long.  Like any marriage, we have had our struggles.  The first 2 years and the last 2 years have been pretty rough.  When they say marriage takes work, it really does.  For us, being a couple without kids, I think it is even harder.  We only have each other.  There are no kids to take the focus off one another.  It also causes us to get in a rut where we come home, eat dinner, watch TV and go to bed.  I think that's how we both gained so much weight.  We stopped doing things.  We are slowly working our way out of our rut though and I look forward to many more years together.

I got my test results back from my 24 hour urine catch and my protein levels were really high.  The doctor says that means my kidneys are damaged, most likely from the diabetes.  What happens is the elevated sugar levels damage the nerves in the organs.  The same thing can happen with high blood pressure.  The course of action is to take another prescription in hopes of not causing any more damage.  There is no way to reverse what has already happened.  The news really sent me into a depression spin.

Why is this happening?  What did I do wrong?  Why all at once?  They say you're never given more than you can handle so I guess I must be stronger than I think.  I stowed myself away in the bedroom last night and thought about all that is going on.  I kinda ruined our Anniversary plans by being in such a mood but I needed the time to process all of this.  I am not good at pretending to be happy.  Ask anyone who is around me a lot.  I wear my emotions on my sleeve.  My conclusion was that staying on the path I am on is the best way to handle this.  Losing weight will help with my diabetes and then everything can trickle from there.

Friday February 13th, 2015:
I woke up this morning in a much better mood.  I'm down another couple pounds and I just feel good.  The sunrise on the way to work was gorgeous.  I guess today I am just thankful.  I am thankful for my family, my friends, my job, and my life.  There are people much worse off than I am.  No more pity parties for me.  I am moving onward and upward.  Nothing can stop me!  Watch out world!

My Diabetic Journal - Week 2

Saturday January 17th, 2015:
I was away from my house all day today so I knew it was a day where I would have to make smart choices on the go.  I started my morning at Starbucks where I used the rest of my gift card by buying the Spinach and Feta Wrap, a Bacon Breakfast Sandwich, a Tall Skinny Vanilla Latte and a Venti Black Iced Tea.  I can hear you saying "Girl, that is too much."  Calm down.  I was being smart.  I ate the wrap and drank the coffee on the drive north.  It was 8:30 in the morning and I wasn't sure when I would be having lunch so the second sandwich was an emergency food supply.

I went and dropped some things at my sister's house and spent some time with my nephew then headed farther North to hang out with a friend.  By 11:30 I was getting hungry and I could tell I needed to eat.  I ate about a quarter of the emergency sandwich while driving out to Yelm.  I was glad I did because we didn't have lunch until 1:15.  We stopped at a KFC/Taco Bell.  Not many healthy choices to make but I did find a Chicken Cantina Power Bowl.  I was actually quite disappointed in it.  There was more rice in it than lettuce.  It had 490 calories, 20 grams of fat and 49 carbs.  But, it was very filling and I wasn't hungry again until around 5 when I got home and ate the rest of the breakfast sandwich.

I was home for about 30 minutes in which time I did my nails, my makeup, my hair and got dressed for Roger's Company Party.  I had two drinks while at the party.  One Long Island Iced Tea and the second was an Apple AMF.  They had a nice buffet set up with a ton of food I can't eat.  They had pasta salad, mac and cheese, rolls and a ton of desserts.  I did find some good stuff.  I had salad, steamed vegetable medley, pork loin, roast beef and chicken breast.  I also had a very small scoop of mashed potatoes.  I needed some carbs ya know?  It was a nice party with 2 hilarious comedians.

It was a whirlwind day of being on the go but I thought I did really well.  I woke up in a good mood and it continued all day. I think today proved that I am on a good path.  I didn't have a hard time making a good choice.  In fact, nothing on that KFC/Taco Bell menu really looked good at all.

Sunday January 18th, 2015:
I was pleased that after a few drinks the night before, my blood sugar was 109.  It had to have been the amount I drank last time and the Red Bull.  Today is game day so we headed out to our regular Sunday breakfast.  Roger's parents joined us today but I made sure we were out of there by 10:30.  I really didn't want to miss the 12:00 kick off.  We did a quick grocery shopping trip which included a bunch of meat and vegetables.

Since the weather has been so rainy and I found some Pork for Posole on clearance, I decided to make a Pork Vegetable Stew.  I threw in a can of green beans, a can of corn, a can of black beans, carrots and some diced red potatoes.  I also made some barley to toss in and used some cumin and garlic powder to season.  It was delicious and the perfect accompaniment to some Sunday Football.  However, watching the Seahawks game was making me sick.  My stomach was in knots.  Until those last few minutes where my Hawks pulled that stuff off.  I never doubted them and knew a miracle was headed our way.

Monday January 19th, 2015:
I woke up in a terrific mood again today.  The Hawks are heading to the Super Bowl to play the Patriots and I am heading to a healthier year.  I finally ordered a scale online that weights up to 550 lbs.  It should be here next week.  I don't want to weigh myself every day but once a week or so should be fine.  I have never been one to obsess over a number on a scale.  I want to feel better, that's it.  And so far, so good.

Yesterday I was craving a Diet Coke so instead of getting a 2 liter (or 3) like I used to do.  I paid twice as much for a 20 oz.  It was gross. I hadn't had a soda since Christmas.  I've been drinking water, herbal tea and iced tea.  The soda coated my mouth with a film that I just hated.  Guess that proves that I have beat that bad habit because I don't want that anymore.

I roasted 2 chickens last night so I could have extra chicken for salads and later on in the week, I am using some in a recipe.  Either Chicken Enchilada Zucchini Boats or Creamy Chicken Quinoa Casserole.  To go with the chicken, I also made Roasted Broccoli.  It is my favorite way to eat broccoli and is so easy.  All you do is put your broccoli into bite sized pieces, put them in a bag, add a little olive oil, garlic powder and parmesan cheese, shake it up and bake it at 400 for like 20 minutes.

Tuesday January 20th, 2015:

My Suburban (aka The Party Bus) is in the shop so I am driving my husband's truck (Johnny Longbox).  Yes, we name our cars.  I've already shared my story of Juanita our Chrysler Imperial.  Anyway, this means I have to get up at 4:30 to take him to work.  Oh Joy!  This morning I decided I was going to take him to work, exercise, shower and then go to work.  I found a fitness show on TV and thought I would give it a try.  I lasted about 15 minutes.  Which is actually longer than I thought I would.  I then laid down and fell back asleep until 6:30.  I still had to shower and get my lunch together.  I was only 5 minutes late but ended up with a salad for breakfast.

I am being tested today.  The guys had Big Ass Sandwich today which is this amazing food truck in Portland.  They are so delicious.  They come with fries on them.  Anyway, the boss brought them in and they smelled so good but I had my lunch, I was fine.  Now I get a call about my Suburban and the guy says it is going to be $1900.  This is completely depressing because it will pretty much wipe out my savings.  This makes me want to drown my sorrows in a juicy cheeseburger and some fries or a pizza but I won't.  This is too important.

After we finally got home last night, I deboned the rest of the chicken from the night before but was too tired and depressed to make one of the recipes I was going to try.  I made Roger Chicken Quesadillas and I had Breakfast Hash.  It was quick and easy.  I went to bed early, dreaming of a miracle for my car.

Sunday January 25th, 2015:

I missed a few days of journaling.  I have been running around like crazy.  Let me quickly catch you up. Wednesday night I made Creamy Chicken Quinoa Casserole.  It was one of the best dinners I have made in a long time.  It had chunks of chicken, broccoli and quinoa without any of that canned cream of whatever soups.  Roger is being pretty good about at least trying everything and he has okay-ed quinoa to enter our staple items.  

I got my vehicle back on Thursday.  I got new calipers, u joints and brake pads.  In total, it was only $800 so I was pretty happy.  And I got it back just in time to head north on Friday to spend time with my sister and nephews.  We made cupcakes for a baby shower for our cousin and just had a great time.  I will share one of the cupcake recipes and the casserole recipe when I can.

One bad thing was how I ate on Friday.  I had breakfast at home at 7:30 but didn't eat again until almost 1 and I was on the road so I grabbed a burrito from Taco Bell.  It had 55 carbs in it.  Yikes!  Then, we went to Jack In The Box for dinner because Kari and I were heading to a party about 45 minutes away.  I had a large fry on the way there and then a Chicken Fajita Pita before bed.  My blood sugar in the morning was 137.  I was pretty disappointed in this because I had been doing so well.  I hadn't been above 120 in a week.

Tried my hand at Kale Chips today. They were actually really good.  I have been missing a crunch in my diet and this really satisfied that.  I took about 4 cups of cut and cleaned kale, drizzled a tablespoon of light olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.  I spread them on a baking sheet and cooked them at 300 for about 25 minutes.  Roger even tried one and said it was ok.  And he is opposed to anything green so that says a lot.

Heading to the kitchen to make Turkey Quinoa Stuffed Peppers.  I will fill you all in next week.

The 12 dates of Christmas

I don't know about you but around the holidays, our schedule gets so busy and hectic that we kinda forget to enjoy it.  I was cruising Pinterest, as I do daily, and came across a post for "The 12 Dates of Christmas".  I thought it was a great idea and came up with my own list.  We will start right after Thanksgiving.

When I introduced this to my husband, he wasn't too keen on the idea but he agreed to give it a try.  We shall see how many dates we actually get through.  Most of the "dates" are things that need to be done anyway, but I usually do them alone.  I am just hoping to get some quality time together, which is what is important anyway right?